Stories for April 2017

A major cruise line with ships that call on the Caribbean will have to pay a US$40 million penalty, the largest-ever for crimes involving deliberate vessel pollution. The sentence has been imposed on Princess Cruise Lines Ltd by US District Judge Patricia Seitz in Miami, for illegally dumping oil-contaminated waste overboard and falsifying official logs to conceal the discharges.

Following through on its threat, Venezuela's government announced on Wednesday it is quitting the Organization of American States, accusing the regional body of meddling in its internal affairs over weeks of political unrest. The step was taken just hours after violent clashes in Caracas between security forces and protesters during yet another march against the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro.

President Donald Trump administration on Wednesday presented a sweeping plan to lower tax rates for individuals and businesses, saying it would create the biggest tax cut in United States history. However US markets slid at the close after the Trump administration outlined the tax cut plan and Democrats described it as a handout to the wealthy that would expand the deficit.

Argentine president Mauricio Macri is scheduled to meet with his peer Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday to discuss trade and other bilateral agenda issues, the Venezuelan situation and regional and world affairs. This is Macri's first official visit to the US as president, although his administration had strong support and very close relations with ex president Barack Obama.

The former CEO of the huge Brazilian builder at the center of the world's biggest corruption scandal spoke frankly about the billions in bribes and illegal financing that the Odebrecht company put into the pockets and campaign coffers of politicians and public officials.

The Spanish and Brazilian governments have teamed up to lay an undersea cable in the Atlantic Ocean to offer fast online and cloud services to citizens of both countries by 2019, underscoring efforts to rout communications outside North America.

China has launched its first domestically designed and built aircraft carrier, state media said on Wednesday, as the country seeks to transform its navy into a force capable of projecting power onto the high seas. Adorned with colorful ribbons, the Type 001A ship transferred from dry dock into the water at a launch ceremony in the northeastern port city of Dalian, according to official broadcaster CCTV.

British Prime Minister Theresa May will on Wednesday hold talks with EU Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and chief negotiator Michel Barnier, ahead of a summit to set the bloc's Brexit red lines. In the first such meeting between the three key players, they will discuss the upcoming negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the European Union over dinner at May's Downing Street residence.

Thousands of Brazilian indigenous tribe members clashed with riot police Tuesday while demonstrating in the capital, Brasilia, for greater rights. Some of the indigenous people were armed with bows and arrows, while police rained tear gas onto the protesters.